After a tough day of work I chilled for awhile and let it cool down a little. Then I went across the street on my old 8.25 setup to skate flat. Parts of it were okay, but a lot was a struggle. I had kickflips and fakie flips better than I have in a while, got a first try heelflip, a couple halfcab flip, first try b/s flip. I was definitely loving the smaller setup. Although I landed the first heelflip I struggled with them after and only got a couple more. I had settled into a routine of trying heelflip then treflip one direction. I never got a treflip. Going the other direction nollie flip, switch front heel, switch flip. I would not get my feet on the nollie/switch flips but I was committing to several and it felt close. Left bummed once again that I couldn’t easily land a treflip.

(setup null 8.25 jack deck, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.6 cast baseplate v-hollow hanger, venom 91a bushings, 52mm spitfire f4 99a radial slims, es swift 1.5 b/w size 11.5 stock insoles)
(pain 3/10)

.. so I put my 8.5 deck back on. (from the last entry)

Running late I arrived to Loveland park where Bryan, Bo and Riley were already skating. There was hardly anyone there and it would stay that way until we were too tired. Riley mostly skated the outside of the park doing fast 5-0s and other tricks. Man it rules seeing him skate. Bo popped over a bunch of rails, gaps, everything, solid treflip over the hip. Bryan had some nice fakie cab bigspins on the bank. I had a noseslide to fakie, a couple crooks on the ledge and a lot of nothing. Bryan and I eventually played a game of SKATE. This would end up taking us forever. Not because we landed a lot of tricks, but because we could not land tricks. We did get to SKAT-SKAT. He got me with nollie heel, creepy spin, nollie bigspin, something else. I had gotten him with fakie flip, heelflip, and a couple more. I went on to win with halfcab flip. Neither of us were hyped on how bad we skated.

After that I went to FOCO and eventually we ended up at a weird hexagon ledge/manny pad spot. I was soooo sore at this point. I tried one slappy crook and realized I could not skate. I still managed to muster a really bad noseslide to fakie followed by a switch front nose. Hayden casually did some greatness. Even his gram line of bluntslide then 180 nose manual was great. The noseblunt then 180 fakie man 180 was ultra hot. Noe and his friend joined us. Noe did like an 8 trick flatground line that was mind blowing to me. He would go on to struggle with a line, but was victorious with nose manuals 360 shoves both ways and a couple casual flippers after. His friend Jarrad did some rad back tails, 180 nosegrind and switch heel. Yee showed up randomly walking his dog. It was super rad seeing him. He would go on to get his board and skate about the time everyone had gotten their clips. But him and Bo skated and it was cool. Bo went right in to trying back lip then manual shove. Adam was doing a bunch of tricks and still had some causal good pop. I left incredibly sore, tired and depressed about my skating.

(setup 8.5 null smoke valley, jessup pj ultragrip, venture 5.8 cast baseplate titanium hanger, venom 88a big 91a small bushings, 52mm bones stf 103a v1, es swift 1.5 b/w size 11.5 no insoles)
(pain level 6/10)

After a bad night of sleep and some slacking I ended up going to Scott Carpenter. I really only skated with Nick. I bailed my first 3 axle stalls on various tiny qps and was so ready to be over it, but Nick and I ended up having some fun on the parking block qp. We did lines. Grind the tiny little qp, rock fakie the parking block qp, fakie front smith or 50 the tiny qp. It was really fun. He tried to bring the front 50 to fakie. I was able to get some grinds around the corner. Nick had to leave, I skated around aimlessly, felt so bad on my board, did nothing.

After some lunch and running boards to Square House I went to Douglass. It was really nice out. I was sore, but skated kind of okay. Maybe it just felt good to skate street because as I write this I feel I have nothing to report. Some noseslides, bad crooks, did the splits trying a heelflip. Got a couple bad halfcab flips. I hated my board the entire time wanting a bigger board. Or so I thought ..

(setup 8.3 null jack night skate, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8 cast baseplate titanium hanger, venom 88a big 91a small bushings, 53 mm orange/yellow swirl spitfire 99a f4 classic shape, es swift 1.5 b/w size 11.5 no insoles)
(pain level 5/10)

Feeling tired after my first day of work in awhile I went across the street after dinner and after the rain dried up. I had my 8.3 setup, but with the same wheels. It took me like 7 tries to get a kickflip. I just couldn’t land anything. I had a little fun incorporating the mini bank into some lines. Like doing cab kickturn or ollie to fakie. I got one halfcab flip and couldn’t get a heelflip. So I posed a lot. Trying a bunch of nollie or switch flips. I would commit to both, but never got feet on them. Overall an absolutely terrible session and I officially hit the wall on large wheels again.

(setup 8.3 null jack night skate, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8 cast baseplate titanium hanger, venom 88a big 91a small bushings, 53 mm orange/yellow swirl spitfire 99a f4 classic shape, es swift 1.5 b/w size 11.5 no insoles)
(pain level 3/10)

On a hot morning I went to dog park around 10am. I was still worn out from the trip to Nebraska and driving yesterday. I had given in to an obsession to put the 6.1 axles on. I quickly determined it was a dumb move. But I still skated for a couple hours. The new barrier is cool, but still hard to skate. The cinder block ledges being bolted in rules. I was mostly all over the place. Tried to string two tricks together on the cinder block ledges, but didn’t really get anything worthy. I took a bit to get a line of wallie over wallys world, ollie a parking block, front 50 the cinder block ledge. My achilles has been acting up the last few days. I’m not sure why, but it makes pushing not so fun. Also took a bit to get a line of switch front nose then metal bench then halfcab boardslide the little flat bar. I made myself manual and back 50 the little ledge. Not the best session, but was happy to skate.

(setup 8.5 null smoke valley, jessup pj ultragrip, venture 6.1, venom 88a big 91a small bushings, 53 mm orange/yellow swirl spitfire 99a f4 classic shape, es swift 1.5 b/w size 11.5 no insoles)
(pain level 4/10 right achilles is killing me)

After some swimming in a lake I made a run to Central City to check out the weird skatepark I had seen clips of.  It was less impressive than I thought it would be.  Poor construction and wavy concrete.  But whatever, it’s unique and had some fun elements.  I started ultra basic with a roll in then rock fakie on the death spine.  After some carves down the snake run and fun mini spine hops I mostly hit the ledge.  Aka the only not unique feature.   It’s a good ledge though.  I did a few no pop noseslides, then front 50s and accidental 5-0s.  Then to my surprise a second try manual.  Had a fun line of crooks then ollie up a ledge then down to front 50 shove.   Got a couple halfcab noseslides and managed to front 180 up the drop.  Got front 50 and made myself do back 50 which took a bit.  Glad I made myself do it though.  Lastly I hucked some back disasters in the shallow of the mellow bowl but ended up giving up and headed back to the lake for another swim. 

(setup 8.5 null smoke valley, jessup pj ultragrip, venture 5.8 cast baseplate titanium hanger, venom 88a big 91a small bushings, 53 mm orange/yellow swirl spitfire 99a f4 classic shape, es swift 1.5 b/w size 11.5 no insoles)
(pain level 3/10)

I arrived at 20th St at 8am and Joe arrived shortly after.  Warming up didn’t really go well so we played a game of SKATE.  Other than Joe winning it was a fun warm up. Ha.  I was unhappy to get a letter on a halfcab flip, but other than that it went alright for me. Then we mostly skated the main ledge.  Joe was popping into grinds before me but when I got his back on a front 50 shove I knew it was a good day.  Joe went on to get a bunch of his tricks. I got some accidental 5-0s, something that resembled a back 50 and other basics.  I kind of ollied a cone. Joe 50d all the rails.  I had a fun line of switch front nose, fakie flip, fakie smith fakie the qp.   I tried treflips for awhile and got a bad one, then followed it up with crooks to fakie on the ledge.  That was a highlight for me.  Joe and I ended the session by doing (almost) back to back front 50 shoves.  Heck of a session!

(setup 8.5 null smoke valley, jessup pj ultragrip, venture 5.8 cast baseplate titanium hanger, venom 88a big 91a small bushings, 53 mm orange/yellow swirl spitfire 99a f4 classic shape, es swift 1.5 b/w size 11.5 no insoles)
(pain level 2/10!!!)

Joe picked me up around 9 and a quick drive later we were eating at Pancheros. We met Nolan!  Then we hit the park.  It’s so huge it’s impossible to get warmed up until you settle in on something.  Joe had front 50d most the ledges right away though.  Nolan warmed up in the flow bowl.  I mostly rolled around looking at what I would skate if I was warmed up.  After filming Nolan for a bit Joe filmed me do the noseslide then kickflips  line.   Joe did the smith to 50 180 on the bank first try.  Filming Nolan in the snake run was scary almost running into people.  Man Nolan boosted a couple bs airs.  I did a ledge line down the wonderful path of ledges: noseslide to fakie, halfcab noseslide, boardslide, crooks.  Joe was skating the ledges well.  He tried to film me line out the bs flip over the weird awesome little hip but I gave up.  I was getting frustrated and wanted to just enjoy the new park.  Nolan was skating the ledges too doing basic tricks easily and working on switch front crooks.  Nolan and I sat for awhile.  Joe continued his ledge assault.  Then we all got going again.   Nolan did the treflip then noseblunt line.  All three of us did wallrides on the steep bank.  Nolan did it frontside too.  Eventually we ended things after 5 hours.  It was a fun time.  Seeing Nolan again was so great.  Dinner and drinks at Fongs Pizza was so good.  Chatting and listening to tunes with Joe was also great.  Thanks skateboarding.  Also, that park is great.  The crowds of people walking through it is ridiculous, but hopefully that slows down.

(setup 8.5 null smoke valley, jessup pj ultragrip, venture 5.8 cast baseplate titanium hanger, venom 88a big 91a small bushings, 53 mm orange/yellow swirl spitfire 99a f4 classic shape, es swift 1.5 b/w size 11.5 no insoles)
(pain level 4/10)

Feeling kinda weird and sick I met joe around 10am. We did some warming up and got into it.  We were mostly doing lines and skating alright.  Joe was rifling off ledge tricks.  At times I felt delirious from my cold, but I kept skating.  After a while Joe set up his phone to film. He was trying fakie 50 to back 50. He did one with a board slide out!  Then one with a slight feeble.  I had been trying manuals and kick back 50s.  Kinda got the kick back 50 but also feebled a bit.   I was still hyped though. We did a couple more lines we filmed.  All in all a fun session even though I felt so weird at times. 

(setup 8.5 null smoke valley, jessup pj ultragrip, venture 5.8 cast baseplate titanium hanger, venom 88a big 91a small bushings, 53 mm orange/yellow swirl spitfire 99a f4 classic shape, es swift 1.5 b/w size 11.5 no insoles)
(pain level 4/10)

After work and a couple errands I arrived to doh park. It was cloudy with rain threatening and there was a grip of kids there. I had changed my setup again- 8.5.  It felt amazing.   I mean flip tricks didn’t, but I skated the ledges better than I have in months.   I started some lines along the lower ledges.   50s and 5-0s were coming so easy.  Almost got nose manual.  Then along the regular section wallie, front 50.  Crooks then front 50 180.  Noseslide fakie then halfcab noseslide.  Switch front nose to forward then nollie front tail.  The rain had started and the lake was super slippery so I didn’t really try many flippers.  I skated hard, had fun. Would have liked to skate more but the rain settled in. 

(setup 8.5 null smoke valley, jessup pj ultragrip, venture 5.8 cast baseplate titanium hanger, venom 88a big 91a small bushings, 53 mm orange/yellow swirl spitfire 99a f4 classic shape, es swift 1.5 b/w size 11.5 no insoles)
(pain level 2/10 just slight hip flexor pain)